Zippeite Mineral Data

General Zippeite Information

Chemical Formula:

K4(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,306.88 gm

Potassium 6.78 % K 8.17 % K₂O

Uranium 61.91 % U 70.23 % UO₂

Hydrogen 0.79 % H 7.03 % H₂O

Sulfur 4.17 % S 10.41 % SO₃

Oxygen 26.35 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.84 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K₄(UO₂)₆(SO₄)₃(OH)₁₀•4(H₂O)

Environment:

Common in underground uranium mines.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Jachymov (St. Joachimsthal), Bohemia, Czech Republic. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Franz Xaver Maxmillian Zippe (1791-1863), Austrian mineralogist.

Name Pronunciation:

Zippeite

Synonym:

ICSD 81585

PDF 29-1062

Zippeite Image

Images:

Zippeite

Comments: Sandstone with a 1.5 cm vein of black uraninite bisected with a 2mm vein of bright yellow zippeite.
Location: Jackpot Mine, Laguna Mining District, Cibole City, New Mexico. Scale: 4.8 cm high.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Images:

Zippeite Uranopilite

Comments: Bright yellow uranopilite and reddish brown zippeite encrustations on uranium ore.
Location: Happy Jack Mine, White Canyon, Utah. Scale: 3 cm.
© John Veevaert

Zippeite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6234:1:0.6263

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.81, b = 14.13, c = 8.85, Z = 1; beta = 104.25° V = 1,067.80 Den(Calc)= 3.59

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.06(1), 3.12(0.9), 3.51(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Vochten R , Van Haverbeke L , Van Springel K , Blaton N , Peeters O M , The Canadian Mineralogist , 33 (1995) p.1091-1101, The structure and physicochemical characteristics of synthetic zippeite, Note: S occupancies increase from .5 to full to match formula

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Zippeite
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Physical Properties of Zippeite

Cleavage:

{???} Perfect

Color:

Yellow, Golden yellow, Orange red, Reddish brown.

Density:

3.66

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Pulverulent - Forms a loose, poorly-coherent powdery mass.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=bright yellow, Long UV=bright yellow.

Luster:

Earthy (Dull)

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Zippeite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.477 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.505 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1935,KPDmeas= 0.1898,KC= 0.1286
Ncalc = 1.46 - 1.47

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.55-1.655, b=1.717, g=1.765, bire=0.1100-0.2150

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

pale yellow.

Pleochroism (z):

yellow.

Calculated Properties of Zippeite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.17 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Zippeite =3.66 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0049060324
Boson Index = 0.9950939676

Photoelectric:

PE_Zippeite=1,624.41 barns/electron
U=PE_Zippeite x r_electron=5,144.11 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,565,953.43 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Zippeite per GRapi unit = 219.01 (PPB)

Zippeite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 6.66 ± 1.67 grams of pure Zippeite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 666.16 ±166.54 grams of pure Zippeite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Zippeite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 8.05 cm	110,819,485	3.00E-03	4,565,953.43	1,501.14
100 gm / 3.74 cm	11,081,949	3.00E-04	456,595.34	150.11
10 gm / 1.73 cm	1,108,195	3.00E-05	45,659.53	15.01
1 gm / 8.05 mm	110,819	3.00E-06	4,565.95	1.50
0.1 gm / 3.74 mm	11,082	3.00E-07	456.60	0.15
0.01 gm / 1.73 mm	1,108	3.00E-08	45.66	0.02
0.001 gm / 0.81 mm	111	3.00E-09	4.57	0.00

Weight of pure Zippeite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.66 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Zippeite Classification

Dana Class:

31.10.04.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.10)miscellaneous

(31.10.04)Zippeite Group

31.10.04.01 Zippeite K4(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

31.10.04.02 Natrozippeite Na4(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•4(H2O) Unk Ortho

31.10.04.03 Magnesiozippeite Mg(H2O)3.5(UO2)2(SO4)O2 C 2/m 2/m

31.10.04.04 Nickelzippeite Ni2(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•16(H2O) Unk Ortho

31.10.04.05 Zinc-zippeite Zn2(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•16(H2O) Unk Ortho

31.10.04.06 Cobaltzippeite Co2(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•16(H2O) Unk Ortho

31.10.04.07 Marecottite! Mg3(H2O)18[(UO2)4O3(SO4)2]2•10(H2O) P1 1

31.10.04.08 Pseudojohannite! Cu6.5[(UO2)4O4(SO4)2]2(OH)5•25H2O P1 or P1 Tri

31.10.04.09 IMA2009-008 Y2[(UO2)8O6(SO4)4(OH)2]•26H2O P1 1

Strunz Class:

07.EC.05 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.E - Uranyl Sulfates

07.EC -With medium-sized and large cations

07.EC.05 Cobaltzippeite Co2(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•16(H2O) Unk Ortho

07.EC.05 Magnesiozippeite Mg(H2O)3.5(UO2)2(SO4)O2 C 2/m 2/m

07.EC.05 Nickelzippeite Ni2(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•16(H2O) Unk Ortho

07.EC.05 Natrozippeite Na4(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•4(H2O) Unk Ortho

07.EC.05 Zinc-zippeite Zn2(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•16(H2O) Unk Ortho

07.EC.05 Zippeite K4(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

Other Zippeite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Zippeite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Uranium Minerals
17 - WWW-MINCRYST
18 - YupRocks

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Ask about Zippeite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Zippeite Specimen Label here :

Zippeite

K4(UO2)6(SO4)3(OH)10•4(H2O)
Dana No: 31.10.04.01 Strunz No: 07.EC.05
Locality:

Notes: